Ben Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in English Ashes Preparation Match

Tour game, Perth venue (day one of 3)

England Lions 382: Jacks 84, Ben McKinney 67; Stokes 6-52

England XI: still to bat

The England captain achieved 6 scalps in his initial appearance after July but the tourists encountered an injury concern about fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after almost four months away with a shoulder injury, bowled sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus England Lions – all to catches taken on the on-side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee problem, delivered a pre-planned number of 8 overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

The Wood situation drained the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at the venue.

England aimed to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the initial Test match at the main venue, starting on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus the captain – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be selected later in the tour by swiping eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Jordan Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Potts also made half-centuries.

The team's decision to play a solitary practice match against the Lions has been criticized by some ex-players but Stokes hit back by labeling the critics "has-beens".

A relaxed opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at Lilac Hill was definitely a world away from what the team will face at a packed Optus Stadium next week.

The captain was superb in the contest against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the last match with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not managed a full part in any of the team's previous four tours because of various injuries and the team's chances of regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been bowling at full pace for 60 days and appeared in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Carse missed the first day because of sickness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Though the captain took the scalps, Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the new ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was required to deliver 14 overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 at an run rate of more than eight.

Joe Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Fisher somehow struck a full toss to mid-on before Jofra Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.